Focus on Internships Part 4 – Critical Success Factors

Alright! You’re nearing the end of The Gap, done all you could to close your top intern candidates and you now have a pretty good idea of the talent joining you this summer. Now, the really fun part starts – revving up your internship program! No doubt, you’ve already ironed out most of the program details, but, how can you ensure it’s “all it can be” for success this summer and in the future?

There are a number of factors which are critical to ensuring a perennially successful internship program, i.e., one that is not only a competitor, but is an ongoing leader in the marketplace. At a minimum, contenders will be able to check off most or all of the following events & activities:

Dynamic Opening & Closing Receptions with Executive Speakers

Corporate & BU-specific Orientations

Alumni Panels

Training & Career Development Sessions

Intern / Program Performance Reviews with Focus Groups & Surveys

Intern Presentations

Networking Events & Social Media

Exit interviews

Intern Ambassador Program

Underpinning these activities is a need for a compelling business case and adequate resources. An intern program is a double-edged sword which can HELP or HURT an organization’s all-important brand in equal measure. Done correctly, it will yield exponential branding & recruitment returns, as interns spread the good news about your firm / program on campus. If executed poorly however, you can count on interns to spread the bad news just as rapidly. So the bottom line is you need to set the groundwork by presenting a convincing intern program business case to organizational leaders over time in order to secure adequate resources to ensure an ongoing successful program.

This article will focus on several critical success factors for the following key stakeholders: intern program directors, hiring manager/intern supervisors, and the interns, themselves.

Intern Program Director CSFs

One of the fundamental activities critical to the success of intern program directors is some level of strategic planning: developing astrategic plan, establishing objectives, and implementing strategies to achieve those objectives. If you are developing a new program, you may find it helpful to employ Stephen Covey’s 7 Habits maxim, “begin with the end in mind”. For example, answer the following questions: What would a successful Intern program look like at your organization? What would be the components? Who are the key stakeholders? How will the program be differentiated from competitors?

Success also requires a systemic approach in order to create an organized, robust and synchronized program in which all stakeholders are adequately resourced, engaged and coordinated to support the program. The result is a smoothly operated program firing on all cylinders, working in unison toward the same measurable goals. Some other critical success factors for program directors touch on organization and program design elements:

Install mechanisms to ensure program is optimized and interns stay on track as well as for continuous improvement, e.g., intern performance reviews (mid-term & end-of-summer), intern program evaluation via surveys & focus groups, adequate program support and coordination from corporate, etc.

Provide continuous feedback to the intern about their performance and contribution

Encourage interns to network, participate in all activities and to share experiences with other interns

Keep intern program director informed about intern status, plans for the future, etc.

Intern CSFs

The intern program director and hiring managers/supervisors should communicate the following messages to interns throughout the internship.

Understand & leverage resources across the entire company to complete work assignments

‘Use It or Lose It’ – Resourcefulness, proactivity, curiosity and openness are important but if interns don’t use (apply) these traits, they lose their potential effectiveness.

Take responsibility for your own success and apply yourself.

Participate. Be engaged

Learn as much as possible about your job, business unit, industry; ask questions

Identify gaps in your own knowledge and abilities and take steps to fill the gap; don’t wait for manager to initiate

Freely provide your (highly valued) perspectives

Network with diverse set of interns across the company on different teams, working in different functions, at other grade levels, schools, etc. Utilize intern social networking events, use available social media, & participate with employee resource groups

Have Fun!

We hope you find these suggestions useful. Wishing you highly successful internship program this summer!